Roseland goes to county planning board for vote

If approved by the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors, Roseland will create a small city at the intersection of Route 288 and Woolridge Road. Casey Sowers (above) is a partner with Roseland Development Company. Roseland Development Company goes before the Chesterfield Planning Commission next week, asking to rezone 1,395 acres to build 5,140 homes and 1.5 million square feet of commercial development at the intersection of Woolridge Road and Route 288. The rezoning request will be heard with a political backdrop of next month's supervisor elections and this week's pending decision on the Upper Swift Creek Plan.

Spurred by a backlash against suburban sprawl and what appears to be a demand for urban living, about 40 percent of the mixed-use development would be multifamily with a mixture of apartments, condos and townhouses. Some multifamily units will be situated above first-floor offices and shops. The higher densities encourage residents to walk to nearby shops, restaurants and offices.

In addition to the public hearing on Roseland, the commission is holding a public hearing on amendments to ordinances that would establish a Traditional Neighborhood Development Mixed-Use zoning district (TND) - the kind of development applicable to Roseland.

TND neighborhoods have become in vogue in recent years so the county wants to set standards. The TND ordinance includes provisions for activity centers, a mix of housing types, open space guidelines and design principles.

Cheatham case returns

The 63-acre Cheatham property in the northwest quadrant of routes 360/288 comes back before the commission next week to resolve an access problem for the fire department and EMS vehicles. In August, the vote was 2-2 with one abstention because it lacked a second access.

The Cheatham family seeks rezoning from agriculture to commercial for 600 homes - mostly multifamily - including a 3-4 story high-rise building. The project will include about 110 townhouses, independent senior housing, assisted living and a nursing home. The planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning in August, but noted the access problem. The development would pay $9.3 million in proffers for road improvements, an estimated 319 more students and other county services.